[#47271] - [6.0] Fix sidebar admin flashing icons (alternative to #47268)
- Fixed in Code Base
- 2 Mar 2026
- Medium
- Build: 6.0-dev
- # 47271
- Diff
- LadySolveig:6.0/fix/sidebar-admin-flashing
User tests: Successful: Unsuccessful:
Pull Request resolves #32273
Issue found CMS release team testing session on: February 12, 2026 (alternative to #47268).
- I read the Generative AI policy and my contribution is either not created with the help of AI or is compatible with the policy and GNU/GPL 2 or later.
Summary of Changes
Server-side active path detection to prevent flashing icons in admin menu sidebar with fallbacks for edge cases.
Menu active state detection and propagation:
- Added a new
setActivePathmethod to mark the active menu path server-side. The existing JS logic was largely transferred 1:1 to the backend method.
JavaScript integration and fallback logic:
- Modified
admin-menu.es6.jsto strip server-renderedmm-show/mm-activeclasses before initializing MetisMenu, then re-apply them to avoid transition issues and ensure the active state is preserved without visual glitches. - Added a client-side fallback in
admin-menu.es6.jsto detect and set the active menu item if the server-side logic fails.
Testing Instructions
-
Open the Joomla backend, expand the Components menu, and select one of the submenu entries.
-
Test other submenu entries to see if the icons are glitching and if everything loads directly without flickering with the fix.
-
Compare if all menu and submenu items are loaded and reachable as before.
-
Install a third party componenent that has menu items in the sidebar in backend. All should be visible and work as before.
-
Additional test that deep nesting also works as expected - introduced in 6.0 see testing instructions here #46550
You need the Firefox browser to test this, as the flickering is no longer noticeable on Chromium-based browsers (see #45787)
Important
For this to test an update of the media asset is required, please use the prebuilt packages or run npm install.
Actual result BEFORE applying this Pull Request
Glitching icons in the admin menu sidebar when opening a submenu item as the active page
Bildschirmaufzeichnung.vom.2026-03-02.02-23-51.mp4
Expected result AFTER applying this Pull Request
Bildschirmaufzeichnung.vom.2026-03-02.02-22-24.mp4
Link to documentations
Please select:
-
Documentation link for guide.joomla.org:
-
No documentation changes for guide.joomla.org needed
-
Pull Request link for manual.joomla.org:
-
No documentation changes for manual.joomla.org needed
| Status | New | ⇒ | Pending |
joomla-cms-bot
- | Category | ⇒ | Modules Administration JavaScript Repository NPM Change |
There are manu changes in this pr that are not referred to in the test instructions or description. Please can you add them so that more than just firefox flashes are tested
There are many changes in this pr that are not referred to in the test instructions or description. Please can you add them so that more than just firefox flashes are tested
I have adjusted the testing instructions slightly. 👍🏼
@brianteeman as this works now with best match on server side rendering and additionally with the solution we had before only as fallback. Would you say that it is at least partly resolves the issue? #34067
@LadySolveig no it doesnt change anything related to that open issue. The same problem exists and your new aria-current doesnt get set
chrome_BN1b4TkQWf.mp4
Thanks for the video and the specific example. That has made the issue clearer to me. We'll address that in the other PR.
Good catch for the aria-current - Thanks!
I have tested this item ✅ successfully on 1808f9d
I have successfully tested this thanks @LadySolveig ;)
This comment was created with the J!Tracker Application at issues.joomla.org/tracker/joomla-cms/47271.
Seems ok to me but as I dont currently have firefox can not mark a test
@brianteeman can you help me replicate?
I get the aria-current="page" set correctly.
<a class="no-dropdown mm-active" aria-current="page" href="index.php?option=com_banners&view=banners" aria-label="Banners"><span class="sidebar-item-title">Banners</span></a>and if I set this in code for debugging (e. g. line 72) it is also working for me.
if ($ariaCurrent !== '') {
$test = $current->title . ' - ' . $ariaCurrent;
$this->application->enqueueMessage($test, 'warning');
}
Do I miss something?
Seems ok to me but as I dont currently have firefox can not mark a test
Thanks
I have tested this item ✅ successfully on 1808f9d
This comment was created with the J!Tracker Application at issues.joomla.org/tracker/joomla-cms/47271.
@brianteeman can you help me replicate?
I get the
aria-current="page"set correctly.
Follow the video - thats when I am saying its not getting set (so no changes with this PR to that already broken behaviour)
I have seen the left side flickering, also tested with additional component install and the flickering was gone in both cases
I checked @brianteeman video result on my windows 11 with firefox 148.0 (64-Bit) and it does not flicker like that
| Status | Pending | ⇒ | Fixed in Code Base |
| Closed_Date | 0000-00-00 00:00:00 | ⇒ | 2026-03-02 16:36:39 |
| Closed_By | ⇒ | Bodge-IT | |
| Labels |
Added:
NPM Resource Changed
bug
PR-6.0-dev
|
||
Thanks @LadySolveig and for all the testers
I have tested this item ✅ successfully on 1808f9d
This comment was created with the J!Tracker Application at issues.joomla.org/tracker/joomla-cms/47271.
Thanks for the video and the specific example. That has made the issue clearer to me. We'll address that in the other PR.
Found the problem shown in the video and its completely unrelated to the menu code but is actually an error in the categories view itself. If you check the example in my video you will see that the url at the end which doesnt have the expanded menu etc is missing the "view=" part of the url. I will document it more tomorrow but just wanted to post a quick note now so you dont try to fix it in the menu tonight
I have tested this item ✅ successfully on 1808f9d
No glitching. Thanks @LadySolveig
This comment was created with the J!Tracker Application at issues.joomla.org/tracker/joomla-cms/47271.